Elder Mackey's July 2 and July 9, 2012 E-mail

A new family in the ward who just happen to be

the son and daughter-in-law of ...

Sister Julie Keyes

He couldn't help but give her a hug!

Bro. and Sister Keyes visited David in the hospital after his accident

and were helpful to his Mom and Dad while they were in

Victoria, British Colombia ... small world...

Elder Judkins and Elder Mackey

July 2, 2012
Dear Family,

The work here in St. Paul is still on the low. My companion got burned out and he hates being in the city. Today was transfer calls and he has been transferred to Akin, MN up in the Duluth Zone. He said it is really nice there in the summer and very pretty. My new companion is Elder Reed. I have served around him. He and I will hopefully get this area back up to par. We will baptize this transfer! The ward is so awesome! It was so hot these past few days! It is suppose to be real hot this week. :/ Right when I walk out I just get drenched in my own sweat. Thank you for your prayers. I love you all!! I hope Stacey is doing better. I have been praying for her.

Love,

Elder Mackey

July 9, 2012

Dear Family,

This past week has been good. My new companion is Elder Read. He is from San Diego where the weather is nice. He has been out on his mission for two transfers less than me. He learned sign language in his last area since he had to interpret for his branch. He is so awesome and is a hard worker. I love making people smile. This past week was horrible. It was so hot and humid! Especially the forth of July. Saturday was really nice though and Sunday. I dont have much time now. Our ride was talking to us too much. Love ya everyone! Thank you for your prayers!

--

Love,

Elder David Mackey

Elder Mackeys June 4 and June 11 E-Mails

Dear Family

St. Paul is such a beautiful place! There are so much vegetation and greenery it is just awesome! We have been doing a lot of finding since we have no investigators. It is just amazing seeing the miracle come as we exercise our faith and open our mouth to everyone we see! We have now gained 4 new investigators. (Just to put in here, we also got some new sweet phones!! The church is becoming more high tec) I love my new companion Elder Judkins! He and I work pretty similar and came out together. Since our time is coming close to an end we have desires to become even greater! We both have had (more him than me) companions that were "hard" companions and we do not want to become like them. We are striving to be more obedient and focusing more on the Lord, and giving of ourselves. Thank you everyone for you prayers and love and support! Continue to pray for missionary opportunities! They are the most happiest things in the world!

This week:

Dear Family,

 

This past week has been a good week. Our lesson number went up and we found some concerns with one of our solid investigators! That was exciting! The ward is way awesome, like most wards are. Sorry this is way late. The work is still pretty slow but hopefully it will pick up and it is. Thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers for me. I feel them everyday.

--
Love,
Elder Mackey

Elder Mackey's May 31, 2012 E-mail

Dear Family,

 

Sorry I didn't write on Monday. This week my companion and I decided to go to the temple so we had our p-day today. We got to the temple late so we were not able to do the endowment session. But we did initiatory and then went to the Celestial room. Then we went shopping at COSTCO!!!!!!! I love that store! We had it in my last area and we went there a lot! When I got into this area we had barley one investigator that we probably are going to drop. The work has been pretty slow. Right now we are just trying to clean out the area book(s). Yes this area use to be two area's but has now eaten the other one and we have their work as well. Which does not have any investigators. Plus, to add on all the top of that, our area is a bike area as well. I believe it is 40 square miles. I thought there couldn't be in a bike area bigger than Minneapolis but St. Paul is now the biggest bike area. There are a lot of hills so it really is a work out. Our focus has not only been on cleaning out the area book but we have been talking to everyone that we see. We have seen the miracles occur as we exercise our faith! What stinks is that we mainly get referrals for other areas. Nonetheless, we have been seeing the Holy Ghost direct our work and where we go. Thank you everyone for all of your prayers! I love you and I pray for you! Happy Birthday Mom! and Happy Birthday Jimmy!

--

Love,

Elder David Mackey

Elder Mackey's May 21, 2012 E-mail

Dear Family,

I have been feeling for the past few weeks that I will be transferred and I have been saying it but I did not want it to happen. It is true, I am going to leave Cedar Lake and will now be serving in St. Paul. The city next door to Minneapolis. I use to be a district leader for this area and its a pretty hard area I believe. Well I will make it a baptizing area!! I forget who my new companion is. Its a bike area so thats a great thing.

The last week has been really slow improving for our area. Elder Larsen sang a duet with the Opera singer in our ward yesterday and it sounded really good! I loved talking to everyone at Mother's Day! I am so happy for my family! You guys are awesome! I get so excited and a little nervous but it is a great "refeshing drink of water." I pray for all of my brothers and sisters and grandma and grandpa and mom and dad. I love you all.

 

I didnt know Julia and Kevin are leaving to North Carolina!! Things are really changing over there. I love you all! Thank you for your support and prayers! I loved the comment of your friend Mandy. Really funny.
--

Love,

Elder David Mackey

Elder Mackey's May 7, 2012, E-Mail

Dear Family,

So I havent received any letters from anyone yet. Or e-mails. I guess thats how you feel when I dont send anything either huh...Well the weather is so great right now! We had two or three days of just rain. We got soaked. Everything was so wet! But it was fun! We had a great week. So we got a new Stake President yesterday. We got a new bishop the Sunday before and now a new Stake President. We got this awesome referral from mormon.org. She referred herself and so we met her. We scheduled a time to meet up with two sisters from the ward. She got really nervous and scared so she kinda bailed. Well we said the sisters could go and have lunch and let us know when they are done and we will check again. We went next door and taught her neighbor. They called us and we checked her apartment again and the card we left was gone....She was home! She didnt answer her door though. For some reason I was "pushed" to walk down the stairs to the bottom floor. We saw a girl (which was her) come through the door and start going up stairs on the other end. We said something but she just looked back and kept going. She we "chased" after her and right before she got inside we talked to her. We tried to "chase" after her in a non-discrete way. She told us that she was scared and nervous but she told us that she would meet us outside in a little. She did and we had a great lesson with the sisters! She told us when we were going back to her apartment that we are so nice that it makes her nervous. She has some trusting difficulties from past experiences. :( The sisters are doing awesome and are building a great relationship with her!

Sunday and Mothers Day!! I hope to see you all there. Even you Lauren! I want to skype and maybe call as well. I get home or where ever we will be eating around 5. depends on how much stuff we have to do after church. I really dont know when to call so I will guess it. I can only talk for 40 min. MAX. President does not want us to go over. Help me to keep that blessing.

I love you!

--

Love,

Elder David Mackey

Elder Mackey's April 9, 2012 E-mail

Dear Family,

 

Ya I know my writing has gotten really bad lately. I dont know why it is so hard to write letters home. I love Cedar Lake Ward. I am staying her another transfer. This is a new record!! The longest I have stayed in an area, 4 Transfers. President told me that I have found my area. I am still District Leader and my district is changing a little bit. All companionships will be getting new companions. Elder Earley is being transfered down south and I will be getting Elder Larson. I knew him a little. He is an Opera singer. He is also a spanish missionary so Cedar Lake will become a zebra area! I will learn spanish a little bit better! Yea. I am also probably going to perform in our stakes musical fireside. I need to practice more piano. I dont play that much. :(

 

Happy Easter to all! Easter was fun with the members! We went to a members parents home and had dinner. His parents are not members and his dad has MS. Talking about the Atonement with them was very spiritual. The dad told us that he is ready to get baptized but hsi mom was a little iffy. We went on a walk with the family and it was so nice outside. The weather here is so AWESOME!!!

 

Our mission as a whole has been studying the Atonement with these talks prepared by the president. One of my favorite talks was by Elder Bednar. He talked about Mosiah 3:19 and emphazised on "...and becometh a SAINT through the Atonement of Christ..." that the Atonement is not just for our sins but for our becoming. He quoted David O. McKay, "The gospel makes bad men good and good men better." Then the scripture lists the qualities of a saint. When I think of the Atonement I usually think of repentance from sin and strength thorugh trails but I never think of changing me and becoming.

 

I hope everyone had a great Easter! The Savior lives! Thank you so much Jill for the package! It was so fun and great to see the pictures. The kids are growing up so much! I love the picture of Caden kicking the football! Thats a big downer that your not getting married Trev. Will you get back together or are you still engaged? I am sorry about that. You seem like you are really in-love with her.

 

 Funny Quote: "Baby you know that I love you and I hope you comrehend. My body is a temple and you got no recommend. " hahaha Sons of Provo.

 

--

Love,

Elder David Mackey

Elder Mackey's March 19, 2012 E-mail

Dear Family,

 

This past week has been so AWESOME!! I have been experiencing the guidance and inspiration of the Holy Ghost the whole week...until Saturday. Dang Saint Patties Day! I have been more aware of the little promptings and have been so grateful! Then as I ponder those experiences I recognize that my whole mission I have bee guided by his influence my whole mission. Some of my experiences was just a thought put into my mind then I followed it and see blessings! One of our potential investigators died. It wasn't because of a bizarre accident but just old age. That was an experience as we followed the Spirit. We just met them the day before we were driving by and saw an ambulance in front of their house. When we saw them, the husband, Leroy, wasn't looking so good and my companion said that he looks like how when his grandpa did before he died. And so he died two days ago. :( But he is in a better place getting taught the gospel! 

 

Being a District Leader is fun! The last district meeting we had was very spiritual and uplifting. Everyone received revelation and information on what to apply in our lives. I liked it because it wasn't just me giving a talk but I sat with them at their level and talked with them.

 

The Weather has been SO AWESOME!!!!! It has been perfect! Its getting pretty hot now though. I am afraid of the summer. Its going to get real hot I bet. :( Wait that means I will lose a lot of weight!!! YEA haha.

 

So I was wondering if I could get some supplies. I need some sticky note pads, some 3X5 notecards, Elder Earley says some chicken, and some love! :D I love you all!!!

--

Love,

Elder David Mackey

Elder Mackey's March 12, 2012 E-mail

I am doing amazing! We had a baptism this last Saturday and a confirmation! Donna Takayama was baptized! I was able to see someone whom I started to teach and then see her get baptized. Elder Earley performed the baptism and I confirmed her. This past week I have been recognizing being led by the Spirit and I see that this whole time I have been led by the Spirit. We got in contact with a member referral and we taught them a lesson. These new investigators are pretty old and the husband (Leroy) didn't look too good. We mainly talked to Shirley, the wife. Well the next day we were driving by and I happened to look over and I saw an ambulance infront of their house. I called up the member and told her. Well we tried to stop by but they left already so I didnt know what hospital they went to. The day went on and we had the baptism. After we were going to go to Donna's house for dinner and we drove by the hospital they were at and then we got a text that Leroy probably wont make it he needs a blessing. So we turned around and stay with her for 2 hours to keep her company until the member got there. I know we were there and gone that certain way because we were suppose to keep her company. God is great!

 

The weather here has be AMAZING!!! It is already spring yesterday!!!! The winter is done and it only dropped below zero twice and it wasnt very much. Thank you for your prayers! Or maybe the people here really need to repent. ;D These past few weeks have been a little lonely. Thank you so much Valerie for the package and the PICTURES! I got a ray of sunlight! I love you all!

Love,

Elder David Mackey

Elder Mackey's February 27, 2012 E-Mail

Dear Family,

 

Oh Mandy I forgot to thank you for your package! You will be getting a letter soon. So yesterday we had the Restoration fireside through music and it was awesome! I played a lot of the songs and I sang one as well. I didn't have that much time to practice but it all worked out. I made some mistakes but not many. :D It was very successful in that a lot if not all of the members invited a lot of their friends. The only unsuccessful thing was that not very non-members were there. I think there was three and one of them was singing a song. (which was awesome! He is an opera singer) I sang "Oh Lord, My Redeemer" and played as well. I was hoping to just sing it because I dont do that much and I want to get better at doing that.

 

We had a lesson with a part-member family and it was amazing! To see the Lord prepare this family, and it wasnt just a few days but years, and the change in them is humbling. I really learn that I am just a tool in Heavenly Fathers hands doing the work that he wants me to do. I had a member teach me amazing truth yesterday and the showed me that patience is implied in everything. It took him 6 years to learn this one thing.

 

Ha ha there is now James Bernard Mackey the 3rd. Is he a little guy? I want to see pictures! Send me one in the mail if you could! Yea for Adam! I hope he does go Spanish! How awesome! Man I am so jealous that he knows Spanish. I think I will need my one wisdom tooth that is halfway out pulled. who knows. Thank you for all your prayers! This week we sould be getting some snow. This is suppose to be the biggest storm this year. We did get snow last week and luckily we didtn have to bike in it! Well I need to go. Talk to ye'all later! 

Love,

Elder David Mackey

Elder Mackey's February 6, 2012 E-mail

Hey Family,

 

Alright Valentine's Packages! Whoo-hoo!!! I am doing pretty well. Donna, our baptismal date set, is doing awesome! She has tried to put back to baptismal date to like April. She gave a good excuse because she wanted her son to baptize her but wasn't able to do it till April because he does MMA fighting for a living and will be done with his fights in April. But as we taught her with her sister she decided to keep the baptismal date because her mother has been coming to her in her dreams and her sister said that their ancestors are getting antsy and want their work done. So she is determine to keep her date and quit smoking. Please pray for Donna Takayama to quit smoking!

 

So yesterday I wanted to take a short cut to get home. It turned out to be a very long cut but was worth doing.  Elder Earley and I walked on water! Yes we walked across the lake to the other side. We actually rode our bikes some of the way until Elder Earley slipped and fell. It is very hard to walk on the ice with no traction on your shoes. It was a little scary because I don't know ice very well and there were a lot of cracks some places and I was thinking we were going to die. ha ha but Elder Earley said they were "deep" cracks, whatever that means, and so I just kept praying. They have Zamboni's that go over the lakes and smooth them out so people can go ice skating. I think yesterday the ice was at 14 feet.

 

Things are going great! Thank you for the Let....or wait havent received any yet ha ha. Thank you for your prayers! I love you all.

 

Love,

Elder David Mackey